Young talent Alyssa Thompson found herself experiencing some difficulty at the 2023 FIFA World Cup after Emma Hayes dropped her from their 2024 Paris Olympic roster due to Vlatko Andonovski’s poor outing for USWNT under Vlatko Andonovski, leading them on to lose to Japan 2-1 and not qualifying. But through showing exceptional resilience she remarkably scored her inaugural USWNT goal and earned praise from Hayes herself!
Thompson has made quite the comeback story since not being selected by Emma Hayes for Olympic selection, initially prompting some to question why Emma Hayes did not include her. But after showing what a player she could be on the pitch for Angel City FC forward at 19-years old Angel City, Thompson proved herself worthy with great performances by drawing attention of Emma Hayes who recognized both Thompson’s abilities and work ethic with significant praise from Emma Hayes himself.
Before their match against Iceland, Hayes recognized and celebrated Thompson’s positive qualities by emphasizing how she understood her expectations as well as appreciated her efforts towards meeting those standards both behaviorally and performance-wise.